Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1887-06-09
i. aYDna nAaoARD.



oveazsss such a sstr.
Those who are fond OF trying to read
character ia handwriting would be apt TO
SGT down the author OF king Solomons
Mines aud 'Shea Va q man OF good
deal of force OF mind and Of a straight
forward. hearty, whole,souled way OF
doing things, says the Book Buyer for
June Mr.. HagRard writes, apparently
with quill or with d broad stub-pen,
large open hand that Ia in sharp contrast
with the amali style which most literary
Englishmen adopt His signature, which
accompanies his portrait In this number
OF the Book Buyer, Ia somewhat larger
and holder than his ordinary handwriting
and In without doubt good index to the
character OF this popular author.
| Mr.. ARggard ia young man. He Will
| not be 81 until the 22d OF this month, and
| therefore, unless he has exhausted his
store of invention, the public may look
foraRtd 10 good many more exciting
i narratives from him. His information re-
gar,iing south African scenes and native
character was gathered NJ first hand For
when only 10 Mr. HnRgard accompanied
| Sir Henry Bnlwer TO Natal; and during
the two succeeding years he served on
the staff Of Tieophilua Shepston", the
special commissioner to the hanssaal.
lie withdrew from the colonial service in
1879, and, returning to London and mar
| r, ing the only daughter OF the htte
Major Margiison of buckingham House,
Norfolk, became practicing barrister of
Iancoln's Inn.
Mr.. Haggards first book was Of polit-
ical character, and, coming from m I'M
known writer, attracted little attention.
1t related TO recent events In South
Africa, and was published in 1889. Two
years later he published DAWN" and a
year after 1.-THE Witch's Head both
stories Of adventure. They caused not
much comment. DAWN was rather
crude, but 'arhe Witch's Head" indicated
that the power to write a stirring story
for boys lay In the author. In the autumn
of 1885 this power was revealed when
king Solomon's Mines" WAS published,
book that was highly praised by the
critics, and that Immediately acquired a
wide popularity. The presence of new
force In fiction was recognized, force
that brought freshness of method and
great yigor and virility Of treatment to
the development of an old idea the haz
ardous search for hidden treasure,
/ which was nothing less than the diamond
MINES from which King Solomon was sup
posed to have got his jewels. Such q
story of daring adventure, however, in
which the interest was not only main
tanned but was increased from the begin.
ming to the end, was well-nigh unique
/ though 1t by no means represented the
, highest form OF romance.
Writing of this story, which made him
. | famous TO the editor of The Boot Buyer
Mr.. Haggard says: King Solomon'i
Mines was written as an experiment II
. boys books. II would be impossible fol
r me to define where fact ends and fictior
? begins in the work, as the two are very
much mixed up together. may ado
that its success was quite unexpected by
: me, as the work, undertaken at hap
hazard, was carried out at odd hours foi
8 the most part after long day at cham
a bers." Mr.. Haggard adds that he hal
o received mp TO date March 20tb) the sun
a of Ei3 10s ON account Of the American
q sale of this book. of which e10 came from
0 Mestrs. Harper & Brothers.
{ "She" was published last December
/. and jess" came out in March, boil
0 showing that there was apparently nj
Q abatement of Mr.. Haggard's invention
8 originality, ingenuity and imagination il
/ the art of telling story of vivid AMI
Z thrilling interest.